I came across this fair-condition softcover at the local library's ongoing book sale. (The author also wrote the screenplay for the film Last Year at Marienbad - which, I admit, I found more than a little tedious, but it is considered a classic.)

This book sounds a bit more lively, featuring mysterious deaths, horror films, a possibly-vampiric lover - will have to see...

Later: I have enjoyed unusually-formatted stories in the past, but I couldn't get into this one. I did discover, after doing some skimming, that the book concludes with a summary of the plot so far: "Could you, the interrogator's neutral voice interrupts, now make the requisite quick chronological resume, accurate and complete but without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail, of all the events that took place from the morning of this important day?" This reads rather like a key to a puzzle, unraveling the mysteries - but is it any more reliable than the rest of the story? Who knows? Perhaps someone else will enjoy this enigmatic tale more than I did, and if they write a tantalizing review I may give it another try someday!

I plan to leave this book on the book-swap shelf in the cafe at around noon or so; hope the finder enjoys it!

*** Released for the 2014 Four Elements challenge, for the embedded "gold" in the title. ***